By Bennett Hall, Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Saturday, May 22, 2010 5:00 am

Dave Picray is taking the law into his own hands.

On May 11, angry at what he calls “visual pollution,” Picray removed several commercial signs from the public right-of-way along Corvallis streets and lectured some of the owners on the city’s sign ordinance.

He relocated a couple of sandwich boards propped outside the Verizon Wireless store on Northwest Third Street, confiscated a pair of Bula Realty signs planted along Northwest Fourth Street and uprooted a Keller Williams real estate sign on Northwest Walnut Boulevard.

According to Picray, city code prohibits such signs in public areas such as sidewalks and parking strips, the patch of ground between the sidewalk and the curb. But that provision is widely ignored, leading to a proliferation of sandwich boards, lawn signs and other freestanding advertisements all over town.

Commercial Advertising Building Wraps and Digital Signs Coming to Market Street East

UPDATE: The May 12th hearing has been CANCELLED!

Hearing Scheduled for Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:00AM - City Hall - Room 400
To testify contact the Sharon Ortiz or Linda Rios at 215- 686-3407.

Click to send an email to your councilperson NOW!

For more information contact SCRUB 215 731-1796.

Councilman DiCicco's Outdoor Advertising Bill 100013 takes away the city's ability to regulate signage and will allow massive outdoor advertising signs including LED digitals and rootop billboards along Market Street between 7th and 13th Street.

Visual Pollution
This Bill is counter to recommendations found in both the 2009 Strategic Plan for Market East and Center City District's Planning for Growth on East Market Street written in 2007.

Philadelphia's rich historical and architectural character are irreplaceable assets,setting Philadelphia apart from "anyplace, USA. Our rich collection of architecture, history, and pedestrian friendly streetscapes attract tourists, new businesses and residents. Relinquishing our streetscape to corporate advertisers whose logos and commercial messages will dominate rooftoop billboards, towering wallwraps and glaring digital signs is an ineffective strategy to revitalize this corridor. We think that there can be a better way to achieve the goal of improving East Market Street.

7th Street before (above) and after (below) outdoor advertising
How this Affects You
Neighborhoods and communities throughout the city will be stripped of their rights to enforce billboard laws in order to benefit select landlords and the billboard industry. Revitalization of this corridor can be achieved without billboards.

TAKE ACTION: Attend the Hearing for Bill 100013 on May 12, 2010 at 11:00 AM.

• Plan to testify. Contact the Councilman's office (215-686-3458) and get on the list.
• Write a letter and phone Members of the Committee on Rules: Councilmembers Greenlee, Reynolds-Brown, Kenney,Verna, Clarke, Miller and DiCicco. See "Contact Information" below for details.
• Pass this on

Attend and Testify
Public Hearing will be held before the Rules Committee in City Hall, Room 400 on Wednesday, May 12th at 11:00.

Click here to read copy of bill

Read Gray Smith's Letter to Councilman DiCicco

Inga Saffron Putting Pizzazz in Market East

Inquirer Editorial Roadside Distractions

Dan Rubin Some Illumination on Lighted Signs Needed

13th Street before and after outdoor advertising.

The recent death of Gray Smith is a loss to us all. His passion and commitment to our built and natural environments will benefit our city for years to come.

Gray was a dedicated civic leader, preservationist, mentor, architect, and urban planner who used his knowledge and skills to benefit Philadelphia. Gray's contributions to SCRUB were many. He provided expert testimony as an architect and a planner in many of our landmark cases including: Burholme Park, wallwraps at East Market Street, and at Callowhill Center on Vine Street, all of which preserved Philadelphia from further visual pollution. Gray Smith was a founding member of SCRUB and supported our work for over 20 years.

When Councilman DiCicco introduced Bill 100013 in February 2010, amending Philadelphia's billboard laws, Gray wrote to the Councilman," Where did this awful thing come from?" Gray went on to warn, "You have not endeared yourself with the neighborhood groups with this outlandish proposal." Gray could always be counted on not to mince words and to speak the truth.

SCRUB mourns the loss of this great friend along with his guidance and wisdom.

Read Gray's Obituary in the Inquirer.

Philadelphia issued a Request for Proposal ("RFP") for a Street Furniture Program on March 25, 2010.
The RFP is designed to elicit bids from private companies to design, manufacture, install and maintain street furniture at no cost to the City while generating revenue for the City.

The street furniture included in this RFP are transit shelters, sheltered bike parking, arts, culture and public information panels ("info panels") and corrals for boxes containing free newspapers.

The RFP also includes street objects designed, installed and maintained by the City such as the six transit head houses (entrances to underground transit on East Market Street between City Hall and 10th Street), solar powered compacting litter containers and recycling containers. Advertising may be installed on these items but the city will be responsible for design and maintenance.

Revenue and Costs
The City will receive an annual minimum fee, two bonus payments and a percentage of gross annual revenues.
This type of arrangement is often presented as a win-win situation because, done correctly, increasing the amount of bus shelters, bike parking and arts, culture and public information signage makes the City more livable while improving the City's bottom line.

This RFP will dramatically increase the amount of legal outdoor advertising in the City of Philadelphia.
At a minimum, commercial advertising will be permitted on over 500 transit shelters (304 existing and approximately 250 new shelters at new locations), 113 information kiosks of which one side of the panel is reserved for commercial advertising, 48 advertising panels on 12 bike shelter structures (4 advertising panels per structure), and 6 transit headhouses. The RFP also invites advertising on honor box corrals, litter and recycling containers. (Read details of RFP)

• The contract will last for 20 years.
  
• The City will consider options based on increased revenue potential regarding the installation of digital advertising panels at any or all locations at any point during the 20 years. (Page 16 of the RFP). In other words, if the City feels that the financial rewards of permitting electronic signage is sufficient, it may allow digital advertising on any or all of the street furniture.
  
• Real Time Information will be installed on 50 transit shelters.
  
• Art, culture and public institution advertising will be available for reduced or no cost.
  
• Designs will vary depending on the area: commercial, residential or historical.
  
• Property owners adjacent to the proposed transit shelter will have input on location.

Public Involvement
The winning vendor will be required to present a "charette" or display of proposed designs for public viewing and comment. SCRUB will let you know when and where that will take place. City Council will vote to approve the final contract.

Digital Displays
Allowing the dazzling display of digitalized advertising on transit shelters and other signs within the public right of way is a new addition to the public furniture conversations. Distractions caused by electronic signs can jeopardize driver and pedestrian safety, compromise sustainability initiatives and detract from the city's visual character. This clause should be removed from the final contract

Learn More: Quick Links to RFP:
Existing 304 transit shelter locations
Proposed 250 transit shelter locations
Proposed Corridors for 113 Information Panels
Honor Box Corral Locations
Full Street Furniture RFP

By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

As the USA cracks down on texting while driving, more than a dozen cities around the nation have banned what some consider a growing external driving distraction: digital billboards.

Digital billboards change images every four to 10 seconds, flashing multiple messages from one or more advertisers on the same sign. Opponents such as John Regenbogen of Scenic Missouri deride them as "television on a stick."

Several communities have banned digital billboards outright, the most recent being Denver earlier this month. Other places have put a moratorium on them pending a federal study on whether they distract drivers. At least two other cities and two states are studying moratoriums.

Philadelphia Inquirer
Posted on Mon, Mar. 22, 2010

When every stretch of highway in America looks like Times Square, it will be too late to worry about the driver distractions caused by electronic billboards.

The bright, gaze-riveting billboards are popping up in this region - notably, along the heavily trafficked Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bucks County. Their messages change every few seconds, making them a gold mine for outdoor ad companies, which can sell the same space several times over.

But what's the impact on drivers whizzing by at speeds of 65 miles per hour and greater? Are they taking their eyes off the road, waiting for the next message to appear?

Philadelphia Inquirer: Opinion
Posted on Tue, Mar. 2, 2010

Councilman Frank DiCicco claims that the way to bring crowds back to Market East is to allow bigger and brighter commercial signs ("Putting pizzazz into Market East," Feb. 26). Other than the obvious benefits to the billboard industry, there is no reason to expect economic benefits from more and larger signs.

The blocks east of the mall managed to right themselves with a few public space improvements. Frighteningly empty after dark a decade ago, those sidewalks are now full of people, in part because of the substantial increase in Center City residents who can walk there and because the surroundings are a bit of old Philadelphia.

Inga Saffron suggests that dramatic new lighting could help Philadelphians see the Gallery "in a whole new light." Perhaps. But would it induce more people to shop there or simply be a drive-by experience?

Eighth and Market is among the most attractive redevelopment sites in the city. It's near public transit, the Convention Center, and a 50-story luxury apartment tower. Failure to use this valuable tract should be seen as a municipal disgrace. Lights and signs won't do it.

Lawrence Houstoun

Philadelphia

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20100302_Letters__At_Market_East__lights_and_signs_aren_t_enough.html

The Samuel S. Fels Fund recently awarded 25 grants to Philadelphia nonprofit organizations to support internships for graduate students during the summer of 2010. These internships are full-time and take place over the summer. The interns are paid a stipend of $6,000. The internship position description and contact information for applicants are below.

The Samuel S. Fels Fund was founded in 1935 by Samuel S. Fels, a Philadelphia philanthropist. The Fund is a private foundation with a broad interest in community programs, education and the arts. Grants are restricted to organizations located in the city of Philadelphia or focused on local issues.